State of the Coral Triangle: Solomon Islands

One of a series of six reports on the status of marine resources in the western Pacific Ocean, the State of the Coral Triangle: Solomon Islands describes the biophysical characteristics of Solomon Islands’ coastal and marine ecosystems, the manner in which they are being exploited, the framework in place that governs their use, the socioeconomic characteristics of the communities that use them, and the environmental threats posed by the manner in which they are being used. It explains the country’s national plan of action to address these threats and improve marine resource management.

Conclusions

Because fish constitute the major source of animal protein in the diet of most Solomon Islanders, population growth will likely increase coastal fishery extraction rates. However, a growing body of both scientific and anecdotal evidence suggests that current extraction rates have reached unsustainable levels, as a decrease in catch in some fisheries has been observed in highly populated areas and market centers. As a result, the estimated output from the entire national coastal fisheries resource may already be unable to meet future demand for fish. This is particularly important since in addition to being the country’s major source of animal protein, fish are likewise a source of cash income for many Solomon Islanders and a primary source of food security for the country.

In this regard, regional and national initiatives are addressing over-exploitation of the country’s coral reef fisheries. The Solomon Islands national plan of action thus incorporates numerous management actions that are both consistent with regional goals and sustainable use of the country’s fisheries. These actions address conservation of the country’s coral reefs, sustainable use of the country’s fisheries resource, and food security. While significant efforts at all levels have thus far been undertaken to protect and sustainably utilize the country’s coral reefs and the fisheries associated with them, much more action in this regard is required if the environmental threats identified above are to be mitigated.

ADB encourages websites and blogs to link to its web pages. Articles may be republished without alteration with the attribution statement “This article was first published by the Asian Development Bank (www.adb.org)" and a clickable link back to adb.org.